Ruleside
New for 2026/27

What’s new in the 2026/27 Laws

IFAB changed several laws effective 1 July 2026. Even hardcore fans will not know all of these.

New ruleLaws 15 & 16

5-Second Countdown for Throw-ins & Goal Kicks

Referees now use a visible 5-second countdown when a team is delaying a throw-in or goal kick. Miss the countdown and you lose possession, or concede a corner.

Before
No time limit on taking throw-ins or goal kicks. Yellow card was the only deterrent for time-wasting.
Now
5-second visual countdown. Throw-in not taken in time → awarded to opponents. Goal kick not taken in time → corner kick to opponents.
New ruleLaw 4

Jewellery & Accessories: New Flexible Rule

The blanket ban on jewellery has been replaced with a more flexible rule. Players can now wear certain accessories if they are safely covered or pose no danger to themselves or other players.

Before
All jewellery must be removed before the match. No exceptions.
Now
Accessories are permitted if they are not dangerous. Items that could cause injury must be removed or safely covered. Referees judge on safety grounds.
New ruleLaw 5

Advantage After a Restart Taken Wrongly

A throw-in taken from the wrong place, a free kick struck while the ball was still rolling: if the other team benefits, the referee can now wave play on instead of calling it back.

Before
A restart taken incorrectly was retaken, whatever happened next.
Now
A restart taken incorrectly with the ball in play may be left alone if the opposing team benefits. Otherwise it is still retaken.
New ruleLaw 5

Referee Body Cameras Now Permitted

Competitions can now allow referees to wear body cameras during matches. This is the first time wearable camera technology has been officially permitted for match officials.

Before
No provision for referee body cameras in the Laws of the Game.
Now
Competitions may permit referees and match officials to wear body cameras. Usage governed by competition rules.
New ruleLaw 12

DOGSO + Advantage + Goal = No Card

If a referee plays advantage after a DOGSO foul and the attacking team scores as a result, the player who committed the foul receives no card at all, not even a yellow.

Before
DOGSO foul where advantage was played → yellow card shown at next stoppage regardless of outcome.
Now
DOGSO foul where advantage is played AND a goal is scored → no card for the fouling player.
New ruleLaw 12

DOGSO Now Counts Attackers, Not Just Defenders

One word was added to the list of things a referee weighs before calling an obvious goal-scoring opportunity: the number of attackers, alongside the number of defenders.

Before
Distance, direction, likelihood of control, and the location and number of defenders.
Now
The same four, with the last reading location and number of defenders and attackers.
New ruleLaw 14

Accidental Double Touch at Penalty: Clarified

What happens when a penalty taker accidentally kicks the ball with both feet or the ball touches their non-kicking leg has been clarified and codified explicitly in the 2026/27 laws.

Before
Accidental double touch during a penalty was handled inconsistently. No explicit provision in the Laws.
Now
Accidental double touch (both feet or ball touching non-kicking foot/leg): if goal scored, retake. If no goal, indirect free kick. Deliberate double touch remains an indirect free kick regardless.
New ruleLaw 8

Dropped Ball: Who Gets It, and Where

If the ball was on its way out for your throw-in when the referee stopped play, the dropped ball is now yours. And a ball that hits a match official is dropped where the contact happened.

Before
Dropped for the team that would have retained or gained possession, with no wording covering a ball on its way out of play.
Now
That team includes the one that would have taken the throw-in, corner or goal kick. Interference by an official or outside agent fixes the position of the drop.
New ruleLaw 14

Goalkeeper Cannot Distract the Penalty Taker

The rules around goalkeeper behaviour during a penalty kick have been tightened. Goalkeepers are explicitly prohibited from delaying the kick or behaving in a way that unfairly distracts the kicker.

Before
Goalkeeper must stay on the goal line. Distraction rules were vague and inconsistently applied.
Now
Goalkeeper must not behave in a way that unfairly distracts the kicker. Touching posts, crossbar or net or delaying the kick is explicitly prohibited. Warning for first offence, caution for any subsequent offence.
CorrectionLaw 12

Handball in 2026/27: Four Claimed Changes, None of Them in the Laws

Four handball changes are being reported for 2026/27: that an arm above shoulder height is automatically unnatural, that there is a new distinction between goals scored directly and indirectly from a hand, that referees have been given wider discretion, and that the VAR threshold for handball has moved. None of the four is in the Laws of the Game. The 2026/27 edition lists its own changes, and that list contains no amendment to the handball offences.

Before
Three handball offences, one boundary on the body at the bottom of the armpit, and one test for an unnaturally bigger body.
Now
The same three offences, the same boundary and the same test. The 2026/27 edition amends none of it.
New ruleLaw 5

Injured Players Must Leave for 1 Minute

If play is stopped for an injury, the injured player must leave the field and stay off for one full minute after play restarts, unless specific exceptions apply.

Before
Injured players could receive treatment and remain on the field or return immediately after a brief assessment.
Now
If play stops for injury, player must leave and stay off for one minute of playing time after restart. Exceptions: goalkeeper, injury caused by opponent foul punished by YC or RC.
Not a law

Covering Your Mouth During a Confrontation: a World Cup Trial, Not a Law

Covering your mouth while speaking to an opponent during an on-field confrontation is a direct red card at the 2026 World Cup, regardless of what is actually said. It is a tournament provision being tested there and it is not part of the Laws of the Game: the word “mouth” appears nowhere in the 2026/27 edition. Outside a competition that has adopted it, there is no such offence.

Before
No sanction existed, and none exists in the Laws today. Without being able to prove what was said, referees had no real way to act on suspected verbal abuse hidden this way.
Now
At the 2026 World Cup, covering the mouth while speaking to an opponent during an on-field confrontation is a direct red card, regardless of the content of what was said. The covering itself is the offence. This applies because the tournament adopted it for testing, not because the Laws require it.
New ruleLaw 3

10-Second Substitution Rule

A player being substituted must leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution board being shown. If they don't, the substitute cannot enter until the next stoppage after one full minute.

Before
No time limit for substituted players to leave the field. Yellow card possible for excessive delay but rarely shown.
Now
10 seconds to leave once the board is shown. Exceed it and the substitute waits until the next stoppage after one minute of play.
New ruleLaw 5

VAR and the Corner That Should Have Been a Goal Kick

A clearly wrong corner kick can now be corrected by VAR, but only if the competition has opted in, only if it happens immediately, and only in one direction.

Before
A corner kick was not a reviewable decision at all.
Now
A clearly incorrect corner kick may be corrected where the competition has adopted the option and the change costs no delay.
New ruleLaw 5

VAR Can Fix a Card Shown to the Wrong Player

Mistaken identity is now a reviewable category in its own right, for a yellow card as well as a red, and for the wrong player of either team.

Before
Mistaken identity was handled inside the other categories, which left a wrongly given caution outside the protocol.
Now
Mistaken identity is its own reviewable category, for a yellow or a red, and for the wrong player of either team.
New ruleLaw 5 & VAR Protocol

VAR Can Now Review Wrong Second Yellow Cards

VAR can now intervene if a referee shows a clearly incorrect second yellow card that results in a red card, a category that was previously off-limits for VAR review.

Before
VAR could not review second yellow cards. Only direct red cards were reviewable.
Now
VAR can review a clearly incorrect second yellow card that results in a red card. The standard is still clear and obvious error.